# Red Herring vs Word Association!

Red Herring and Word Association! both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Word Association!'s written reviews are positive against 76% of Red Herring's. Word Association! also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). Red Herring's advantage is ratings volume (48K vs 8.2K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Word Association! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Red Herring holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 8.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Red Herring's written reviews are positive against 90% of Word Association!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, Word Association! every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | Word Association! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews)** | [4.6 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-association/id716759372/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 8.2K |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | **90.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Funnerware](https://appshunter.io/developer/674121296) |

## What reviewers say

### Red Herring

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265)

This word puzzle game challenges you to group words into categories while identifying misleading "Red Herring" words. Enjoy a fun, challenging, and easy-to-learn experience with no time limits and three difficulty levels suitable for all ages.

**Highlights:** Group words into categories, Identify misleading "Red Herring" words, No time limit, Three difficulty levels, Daily puzzle

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Curiosity - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Brilliant! - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Allegro - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Spelunking - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Renaissance - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| IQ - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Serendipity - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Older Daily Puzzles 2014 Jul - Dec | $3.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Leap - 175 Puzzles | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤔 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 🧠 Exercises the mind
- ⏰ Good time-passer
- 🎮 Fun and addictive game
- 🎓 Educational and expands vocabulary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🇺🇸 Too American-centric
- 💰 Expensive paid content
- 🚫 Limited free content
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Obscure references and categories

**Reported bugs**

- Formatting issues after updates
- Inability to access previous daily puzzles
- Ads that cannot be dismissed

**Requested features**

- More free daily puzzles
- Less American-focused content
- Dark mode option
- Ability to replay past puzzles
- Hints system improvements


### Word Association!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-association/id716759372)

Engage in a relaxing word game by matching pairs of related words. Explore connections like synonyms, opposites, or compound word parts. Hundreds of puzzles are available, with hints to help you along the way.

**Highlights:** Match related word pairs, Synonyms, opposites, compound words, 40 free puzzles included, Hundreds of additional puzzles for purchase, Hint system available, Relaxing gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 100 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Relax Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Good Times Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stimulating Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Happy Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lucky Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Conquer Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Packs of 350 Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Combo Pack (Unlocks all Packs, Plus future Packs & Removes Ads) | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable game
- 🧠 Challenges the mind
- 🧠 Helps improve vocabulary
- 🧠 Good brain exercise
- 🧠 Keeps the mind sharp

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with navigation buttons
- 🕰️ Timed gameplay can be stressful
- 💰 Paywalled content
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🔤 Some word associations are questionable

**Reported bugs**

- Replay and Next Level buttons not working
- Freezing/crashing issues
- Incorrect word associations

**Requested features**

- More word packs and levels
- Ability to disable timer
- Larger font size options
- Themed word packs
- Ability to save progress and resume later


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

Red Herring is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Word Association! free?

Word Association! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Red Herring or Word Association!?

Red Herring is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Word Association! averages 4.6 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do Red Herring or Word Association! have ads?

Both Red Herring and Word Association! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Red Herring or Word Association!?

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Word Association! every 4 months. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on November 1, 2026 and Word Association! on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*